Una Mulzac & The Gay Book Controversy

Recently an unsigned letter was circulated among black gay men which called for a letter-writing campaign against Harlem's Liberation Bookstore because it "steadfastly refuses to stock any books by black lesbians and gay men," books that would offer a "positive artistic depiction."

Instead, continued the letter, some of the titles the store chooses to carry "reinforces negative stereotypes." thereby giving the black community reasons to believe that black gay men and lesbians are not a legitimate "part of African-American culture and history."

However, Una Mulzac, Liberation's owner, disputed the letter's claim. "I'm not anti-gay. I've never attacked gay people publicly. I have books in here by gay people." She then cited examples: James Baldwin, poet Audre Lorde, and the lesbian-feminist anthology Home Girls.

The letter-writing campaign came about when a young black gay man visited the store and asked for a copy each of The Road Before Us (which will be published in October) and Brother to Brother, both black gay anthologies. According to one source, Ms. Mulzac told the visitor they didn't carry gay books because they didn't sell well.

Ms. Mulzac confirmed the visit. She added that "the brother's manner was so aggressive, a strong-armed kind of thing. He wanted us to make another category for black gay men and women. We have about 40 categories. It's a small store. We are jammed to the hilt. We specialize in African history and culture. That means every aspect of it that we can. We can't make another category. After 24 years I am not going to start a new category and particularly now when they've put out a letter condemning us. I really don't appreciate the strong-arm tactics. There was a magazine we had in here for over a year, Other Countries. I put it in a prominent place; it did not sell at all. People do not come here for gay books. If it's about that subject, they do not buy it. I've had that experience."

Since the young man's visit, Liberation Bookstore was sent a letter from a feminist publisher who informed Ms. Mulzac that she was told the store didn't "need her books in here. We never said anything like that. How can she say that when we have her books in here." Ms. Mulzac went on to say, "It's my preference that we have what we have--James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, Langston Hughes, who one brother told me was also gay. You can't accuse us of discrimination against gay writers. What they want and what I want as a bookseller is not for them to say. Censorship is entirely different from being selective."

Ms. Mulzac concluded the phone interview with this warning to those behind the letter-writing campaign: "If there's going to be a public outcry against this store, they are the one who are going to be criticized for telling lies on us. This is harassment for nothing. When they attack this store publicly, they're starting something."

This article was originally published in the New York Amsterdam News (September 12, 1991)

Una Mulzac died January 21, 2012 (see "Una Mulzac, 88, Bookseller With Passion for Black Politics, New York Times, February 5, 2012.)